This is probably the same way I've viewed Microsoft since the release of Windows 7, Linux hasn't really changed much since Ubuntu started shipping distros with the Unity desktop, 16.04 doesn't look like much has changed other than a new layout with their app store that closely resembles the MAS. The only thing worthwhile and promising as far as change in hardware goes is the Spectre laptop from HP, before that it was the Mac Pro. (~3 years ago) As far as software goes, I'd like to see a new piece of software instead of just a bunch of version nexts.
You really have to think about it, the change from the ENIAC to mainframe was huge, the introduction of email and dial-up internet was huge, going from POTS to Ethernet as is today didn't have that much of excitement behind it, it just changed and the hype quickly died after a week. The very first laptop was crazy exciting. Wi-Fi was also really exciting. Going from DOS to Windows 1.0 was game changing, Apple introducing the mouse and a gui screen (they stole from Xerox) was amazing, then when Windows was beautified into Win95, the hype was there. Going from 95 to 98se was a breath of fresh air because of all the errors on 95. XP was innovation, Vista was just a beautification project that failed and 7 was a rehash of Vista on hardware that could support it. 8 tried to innovate but the OS didn't need those proposed changes. 10 is just a rehash of 8 that is a little more friendly in terms of mouse users. Bringing out a smartphone that could connect to the internet (palm) and redone better (blackberry) was a great innovation. Apple took the reigns on that and won it over with the best mobile experience with iPhone, which quickly was adopted by Android and Windows Phone 7. The innovation is still there with all of these companies, it's just there isn't that much completely new stuff like their used to be.
I don't expect there to be much anymore because we've left the information age, now we are in the infrastructure age where the best innovated things are self-driving cars and machine learning.
Totally going off topic here!
Where should I begin?
The changes in Windows Vista is breathtaking in terms of both new features as well as underlying changes.
Its
hard to compare Windows XP and Windows Vista and say that somehow the latter isn't better than the former in everyday other than the issue with the drivers.
Windows Vista introduced entirely new driver models. The drivers were moved from the kernel space into the user space.
For example, prior to Windows Vista, a video driver crash would take down the whole OS (BSOD).
In Windows Vista, a video driver crash, but can then be subsequently reloaded.
The problem with Windows Vista is that it was released prior to the drivers being ready. A lot of drivers available were still beta in quality.
Windows 7 was simply released at a time most of the common drivers were ready.
Windows 8 also introduced many underlying changes than significantly improved performance and stability on the current hardware. Obviously, most of that went unnoticed since many hated the full screen start screen and full screen-only apps.
Windows 10 fixes those issues and make the OS more mouse friendly.
BUT (and this is a big but) the OS is the part of the equation. You have to look at the innovations on the hardware side that is enabled by the software and vise-versa.
Looking at, for example, the Surface Book. You can't look at that and not acknowledged how far things have come.
And I know someone will say: "Ah, well the Surface Book doesn't have upgradable memory!" and that's true, but the memory is in the tablet potion of the tablet and (even if the memory upgradeable) would require removing the screen. It's the same reason I don't expect the iPad to have upgradeable battery,
